28
Apr
My high school economics teacher used to say, “Aim for the trees and you might clear the fence.” For whatever reason, this adage struck a chord with me and has been my motto ever since.
So, in the spirit of celebrating a fence cleared, I am happy to announce that an excerpt from my most recent novel manuscript has placed 2nd in its category in the 12th Annual Fire & Ice Contest, sponsored by Chicago-North RWA®. The contest entry is listed under my legal name instead of my pseudonym, so don’t bother looking for “Maura Bishop” there. 
While it would have been great to win 1st place, I’m ecstatic to find myself as the runner up. From what I understand, competition this year was fierce, and so just making to the final round was huge! Besides, a few key factors make 2nd place all the sweeter:
- I know this will make some people groan, but I honestly submitted the manuscript just to get some feedback. At the time of submission, I’d written only about 100 pages and wanted to test the waters to see how unbiased readers would react to the premise of the story. I actually had higher hopes for another entry I had submitted. It did great, but obviously not as well.
- When I’m ready to start shopping this particular novel, being able to say it placed in a contest might help persuade an agent to pluck me out of the slush pile and take a closer look. There are no guarantees, of course, but agents get scores of query letters every day, so one of the biggest challenges is getting one of them to ask for more.
- Getting my name out there — even if it’s my real name — is good exposure to other authors, agents, and editors. I’m certainly starting to recognize names of authors who have placed in other contests and find myself cheering for them when they finally get a book deal. It’s not only great to see them realize their dreams, but it’s also proof that perseverance pays off.
- And probably one of the most important points is that this couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been writing for twenty years, but seriously writing for only two. Having now written four complete novels in those two years, I needed something to happen to provide a much-needed ego boost to keep me moving forward. Still no book deals in sight, but I’ll take this as a cosmic thumbs-up that I’m on the right track.
The big question everyone keeps asking me is, “What happens next?” Well, I’ll finish the manuscript, go through a month or more of revisions until I feel it’s polished, then start sending out query letters. What happens from there is anyone’s guess. In the meantime, it’s nice to be able to add “award winning” to “writer” on my resume, even if “published” is still to come.
19
Apr
My sister is expecting her first child in a few weeks and still hasn’t settled on a middle name. Debate over the perfect middle name has been waging for months between the expectant mama and papa — with those of us on the outside lobbying for our favorites. My sister has her preference, of course, but she has yet to find the name that really clicks for both her and her husband. Luckily, she still has a little time…
Just like with naming a baby, choosing a name for a character can make all the difference in how readers accept her as part of the reality you’ve created. I mean, really — can you imagine Scarlett O’Hara by any other name? Would she have become the iconic Southern belle we all hate to love if she’d been named something less flamboyant and dramatic? Okay, maybe — but she wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun!
Before I even begin to write a story, I spend a considerable amount of time coming up with the names of my characters. Typically, this process involves a lot of research on origins, meanings, pronunciations, and popularity at given points in history. I know, I know. I use the word research and people cringe, but the process of researching names doesn’t have to be onerous or boring — I promise!
Although there are oodles of books and websites that list the standard baby names and their meanings, don’t be afraid to shake things up and try an unusual source. Sometimes a character demands a name that’s a little out of the ordinary. In that spirit, here are just a few of my favorite resources for finding the perfect moniker when Tom and Jane just won’t do:
Irish Names from Ancient to Modern
www.namenerds.com/irish
I’m a total etymology nerd and will happily admit that I own a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary expressly for looking up word origins — for fun! Irish Names from Ancient to Modern is a perfect one for getting my nerd on. Incidentally, Moose’s real name appears on the list of Traditional Irish Names — I’ll let you guess which one it might be.
And the best part? Backtrack to the root website (www.namenerds.com) and you’ll find links to sister sites: Welsh Names from Mythic to Modern, Scottish First Names, and Unusual, Unique & Creative Names.
Name that Goth!
http://home.comcast.net/~jeniphir/babynames.html
If you’re looking for names that deviate from perennial favorites Jacob and Emma, give Name that Goth! a go. I actually stumbled upon this one when I was looking for a suitable name for an angel and immediately fell in love with the various lists grouped together by theme. Sadly, it doesn’t look like Penny Dreadful has updated the site in quite a while. Some of the links are broken, but the remaining categories still offer some fabulous choices.
How do I say…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/names/index.shtml?a
This website is hosted by BBC Wales and is very handy if you have a character whose name should call to mind faeries and elves and dragons and… well, you get the picture. And, true to its title, you can click on the names to hear the actual Welsh pronunciation (trust me, you’ll need it).
These are just a few of my favorites, but I’m always looking for fun sources to try and will post updates as I come across new ones. If you have others you’d like to share, feel free! Who knows — perhaps my niece will benefit from your suggestions.
